Hashitoxicosis

Hashitoxicosis is an autoimmune thryoid disorder that is often hard to diagnose. Thyroid hormone changes due to both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism occurring simultaneously may cancel each other's influence on routine thyroid function tests, causing the patient to have normal results. Autoantibody tests are usually needed to diagnose this disorder.

In Hashitoxicosis, the primary disorder is Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an autoimmune hypothyroid disorder. However, as thyroid cells are destroyed by autoantibodies, thyroid hormone is released, causing recurrent symptoms of hyperthyroidism. Also, patients have both blocking and stimulating TSH receptor antibodies, causing transient periods of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.

Anyone genetically predisposed to autoimmune thyroid disease can develop Hashitoxicosis. It's not uncommon for individuals to have Graves' disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, primary myxedema and Hashitoxicosis at different times in one lifetime. Depending on what thyroid autoantibodies are present, any of these disorders can occur. ♦

© 21 May 2006 Copyrighted by Elaine Moore